Attachment for can labeling machines



June 23, 1936. G. A. BARDET ET AL ATTACHMENT FOR CAN LABELING MACHINES N UWE/wok c; o. .5A/,e057 65o. U. 84,6057

, WA Troia/v51@ June23,1936. GAB/mum ET'AI. 2,045,287

* ATTACHMENT FOR CAN LABELING MACHINES Filed.y May 17, 41935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

.JN VENTOR 65o. H. Bfreoer G50. V. 5.4.6067

A T TORNEY Junez, 1936- G. A. BARDET ET AL 2,045,287

ATTACHMENT FOR GAN LABEL'ING MACHINES l Filed May 17, 1935 3SheetS-Sheet, 3 Y

INVENTo/e Geofeef BmeE 65e/e6! 1/. 8020er A Trond/VE Y Patented June 23, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ATTACHMENT FR CAN LABELING MACHINES Application May 17, 1935, Serial No. 22,041

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in labeling machines, and it has reference more particularly to machines of that type designed for applying paper strip labels to cylindrical cans, and wherein the cans to be labeled are rolled along a receiving guideway,.rst passing across means whereby glue, or other adhesive, is applied to a limited area of the can body wall, then passing across a supply stack of labels to Cause the applied glue to pick up the upper label from the stack, and cause it to be wrapped about the can incident to continued travel of the can along the guideway.

'Ihe principal object of the present invention is to provide an attachment means that is applicable to the commonly used types of labeling machines as above described, whereby each can, in its promiscuous delivery to themachine, will be momentarily stopped in the guideway prior to reaching the glue applying means, and there mechanically positioned to insure that a designated portion thereof will, upon its subsequent travel across the label stack, come accurately into registration with a designated portion of the label.

Heretofore it has not been customary, or, at least it has not been considered desirable, to apply paper strip labels to tearing strip cans. It has been the general practice, with tearing strip cans, to lithograph the body blanks prior to making them into bodies, and thus eliminate the necessity, or desirability, of applying paper labels. Generally, when paper labels have been applied to tearing strip cans, they have been so positioned that they did not overlap the tearing strip, since it is quite apparent that, should the tear'- ing strip tongue be covered up by the label, it would be required, for application of a key thereto, that the location of the tongue first be determined, then a part of the label tornaway to expose the tongue. Should the label be made suiciently short that it did not extend over the tearing strip, the uncovered portion of the can body should be lithographed; otherwise, it presents an unattractive appearance. To our knowledge, no attempt has been made heretofore to cover the entire body Wall of a can with a label having a recess through which the tearing strip tongue is exposed to View.

The present invention contemplates the application of paper strip labels to tearing strip cans which will cover the can between its ends and which will extend across the tearing strip, and which are provided with notches or cut outs at one edge 'for exposing the tearing strip tongue of each canto View. Therefore, the object of the invention, broadly stated, is to provide an attachment means for standard, or other types of labeling machines, whereby each can, after entering a machine, will be accurately registered for exposing its tearing strip tongue within the notch of the label which is applied thereto.

More speciiically stated,l the present invention resides in the provision of an attachment means for labeling machines, including a stop member in the receiving guideway by which each can is momentarily stopped in its forward travel while rotation thereof is continued, and also including an element that will engage with the tongue of the tearing strip of the rotated can, thereby to stop rotation with the can in proper position that upon release for continued travel, the tearing strip tongue will come accurately into registration with the label notch.

Other objects of the invention reside in the details of construction, in the combination of parts, and in the modifications thereof, whereby the various objects of the invention are attained.

In accomplishing these and other objects, we have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein- Fig. l is a top, or plan view, of a labeling machine to which an attachment device, embodying the present invention, is applied.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section, in a vertical plane, on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top, or plan View, of the can registering mechanism embodying the attachment device of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4 4 in Fig. 3, showing the can stop in positionV for bringing a can into registration.

Fig. 5 is a similar view illustrating the release of a can after registration.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing parts of the can stop bar and the tongue registering hook.

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of a can with label applied thereto.

Referring more in detail to the drawings- I designates a horizontal runway along which the cylindrical cans 2 are caused to be rolled by contact with the lower run of a can delivery SOI The belt 3 and the wheel 5 are located centrally above the guideway, as observed by reference to Fig. l, and at opposite sides of the wheel 5 are paired belt Wheels II-I I, fixed on the shaft 9, and about which belts I2-l2 extend; the latter belts having their lower runs parallel with the runway and adapted to continue the advancement of the cans along the runway as delivered thereto by the belt 3, and to advance them under positive control across the glue applying rolls, and the label stack, which will now be described.

As observed in Fig. 2, a glue pot I3 is supported directly beneath the guideway I. This pot contains revolubly driven glue applying rollers I4 fixed on a cross shaft I5 that is rotated in any suitable manner such as by means of the belt I6 operating over pulleys I'I and I8 fixed respectively on the shaft 9 and a transverse shaft I9 that has a geared driving connection, ISU', with shaft I5. The glue applying rollers I4 are so disposed that the cans delivered by the belts I2 along the guideway will contact therewith for an application of glue to the can body at intervals along a line from end to end.

Located at a specified distance from the glue rolls I4 and below the runway is a support 2Q upon which a stack of paper strip labels 2I is placed. Each label has a notch or recess 2Ia at one edge within which the tearing strip tongue of the can to which the label is applied, will register. The labels are disposed lengthwise of the runway, and the stack is fed upwardly, as the labels are used, by suitable means, not shown, which may be connected with the post 22 which mounts the support 2G. The upward travel of the stack is limited by means of va narrow inturned flange 24 overlying the stack at its f-orward edge and a transverse belt 25 which overlaps it at its opposite edge. This latter belt is continuous and is extended about belt wheels 26 and 2`I, one of which is located in a paste container 28 from which a suitable paste is transferred to the belt for subsequent application to the ends of the labels with which it contacts. It is to be understood that in the present arrangement, the cans, in passing over the glue rollers I4, have a small amount of glue applied thereto, and that the label stack is so spaced from the rollers that after the can has made at least one complete revolution in its travel along the guideway, the glued areas of the can come into contact with the forward end of the upper label of the stack, and the end of the label adheres thereto, then as the can continues to roll along the guideway, the label is thereby caused to be wrapped about the can, and the opposite end of the label to which paste has been applied by belt 25 is caused to overlap and adhere to the first attached end of the label, thus securing it about the can body.

Since the present inventionV contemplates the labeling of tearing strip cans by means of labels which have an edge notch formed therein for exposing the tearing strip tongues, the position of the can in its delivery across the label stack must therefore be accurately determined prior to the cans reaching the label. In carrying out the objects of the invention, a mechanism has been provided for temporarily stopping each of the cans as it is rolled along the guidewayrby the delivery belt 3 but permitting a continued rotation of the can under action of the belt to bring the tongue to a definite position, following which, the can is releasedfor continued travel along the guideway.

This tongue registering means is illustrated particularly in Figs. 3 to 6 wherein 30 designates a cross rod normally supported in the path of the cans as delivered under control of the belt 3. This cross rod temporarily stops the forward travel of the cans, and it is supporte-d at its opposite ends by arms 3I-3i, which, in turn, are fixed on a cross shaft 32 located transversely of, and just beneath the guideway on which the cans travel, and is revoluble in the opposite side plates 33 of a frame structure fixed to the guideway directly below the path of the cans. When a can is delivered by the belt 3, it comes into abutment with the cross rod 30, and is stopped in its advancement; however, it continues to revolve by reason of its frictional contact with the delivery belt 3.

The means for holding the cross rod in raised position to arrest the can during its tongue registering period, comprises a lever arm 35 that is iixed to the shaft 32 and which extends downwardly into abutment with the end of a latch lever 3S; the latter being dispose-d substantially horizontally, and pivotally mounted on a cross shaft 3l. a stud 38a on the frame, and at its other end to an arm 39 fixed to and extending down from the shaft 32, thereby to rotate the shaft to draw the stop rod back to its raised position after each time it is depressed by passage of a can thereover,

incident to release of the arm 35 from the latch lever 3G.

Also pivotally mounted on the cross shaft 32 is the tongue locating stop latch fill. rIhis latch comprises a hooklike end portion 40a, and the latch is so disposed on shaft 32 that when the stop rod 3G is in raised position for stopping a can, as seen in Fig. 4, the hook end portion Ga will rub against the can wall along the tearing strip and thus will nally be directly engaged by the en-d of the tea-ring strip tongue, and further rotation of the can thereby stopped. The latch 49 also has a depending leg dill), normally engaged within a notch I in one end of a latch lever B2, also supported by cross shaft 3l, thereby to hold the latch 4Q in raised position as illusrated in Fig. 3. A coiled spring 43 is attached to the leg b and to a pin lid xed in the frame, thereby to yieldingly retain the hook in raised position.

The levers S6 and l2 are of substantially equal length, and are provided at their forward ends, that being the ends nearest the receiving end of the machine, withl rollers E5 and [5B adapted to be engaged respectively by rollers 4'! and 48 on cam wheels 49-50 fixed on a revolubly driven cross shaft 5I, thus, for each rotation of shaft 5I, to trip the levers 35 and 2 for simultaneous release of the arms 35 and 4Gb therefrom.

The cam shaft 5I is rotatably driven by means of a belt which operates about a belt wheel 5G thereon and a belt Wheel 5'! on the driven shaft 9.

Assuming that a can 3 has been brought into a position against the stop bar 38, as illustrated in Fig. 3, and that it has been rotated to bring the tearing strip tongue 3a into abutment with Y the hook 4M of stop latch liti, it will remain in this stopped position until rotation of the cam wheel 49 effects a release action of the latch levers 36. Incident to this release, the pressure of the can against rod 3D, under the driving contact of the belt 3, will cause the rod 30 to be depressed downwardly, and the can to pass thereover, as illustrated in Fig. 5. Assoon as the A coiled spring 38 is attached at one end to can has passed over the cross'rod, the latter is brought back to normal, raised position by reason of the spring 38, which is'attached to pin 39, as indicated in Fig. 4, and the arm locks back of the end of lever 35.

During the period that any can is being held against advancement in the runway by the cross bar 30, the oncoming cans under the feed belt 3 are held in check, and spaced from the stopped can, by a forward cross rod 60 that is supported transversely of the path of delivery by arms 6 I--6I fixed on a cross shaft 62 revolubly mounted at-its ends in plates 33--33. Shaft 62 has a depending arm 63 fixed thereto and al coiled spring 64 is attached to the arm and to the pin 44 to raise the cross rod E@ back to its functional position in the runway after a can has been advanced thereover. The depending arm 63 is adapted to lock Within a notch 65 at one end of a latch lever 65 pivotally supported on a cross shaft 66. The other end of the lever 65 Vhas a cam roller B1 xed thereon in the path of a roller 68 on a cam wheel 69 fixed on the revolubly driven cam shaft 5I. The arrangement of cans and levers is such that following the release of a registered can by the tripping of the lever 35,' a can is released from cross rod Eil for advancement to the stop bar 30 for registration.

The timing of the mechanism is such that each can, when stopped by the cross bar 30, Will be caused to rotate at least one complete turn prior to the stop bar 3&3 being released. This will insure the tearing strip tongue coming into contact with the registering hook before the can is permitted to advance to the label stack.

When a can is released by cross bar 30, it is then rolled along the guideway under positive control of the feed belts l2-l2 and is carried across the glue rolls andthen across the label stack. The spacing of the label stack from the point of can registration is exactly determined so that as the can rolls across the label stack, the tearing strip tongue T of the can will be accurately registered with the edge notch 2la of the label.

Assuming the various parts of the mechanism to be so constructed and assembled, the operation of the machine, brieily described, is as follows:v

Cans are admitted to the guideway I and are successively picked up by the delivery belt 3, and the forward can is brought into abutment with the cross rod 6e. Incident to rotation of the cam wheel 69, the latch lever 65 is tripped and one can is released for advancement to the stop rod 30; the oncoming cans being retained by the rod which snaps back to raised position. When the released can is brought into contact with the stop rod 33, it continues to revolve due to contact with belt 3, and the tearing strip tongue of the can nally comes into -abutment with the hook 40a of the registering latch 4l). Subsequently the cam rollers on wheels 4S and 5U effect the tripping of the levers 36 and 42, thereby permitting the stop bar 30 to swing downwardly and the registered can to be advanced along the guideway across the label stack. As soon as the registered can is released by bar 30, the latter snaps back to raised position to stop the oncoming can which, in proper timing, has been released by the stop bar SG. The released can passes over the registering latch 40, depresses it, and the latch is then retained by the pull of the spring 43 yieldingly against the can wall as it revolves.

The present device may be applied to anyy of the standard types of labeling machines without change'in their mode of operation. It is relatively inexpensive, and effective and elcient in its operation.

It is desired to point out here that while the present attachment device is especially designed for use with labeling machines, it is not the intention that it be limited to this particular use, as it is quite apparent that it may be applied with equal success to various machines for the purpose of stopping a can in a definite position, which might be for labeling, stenciling, key attaching, or for any other operation on a can which requires, for that operation, that the can be brought into a definite position. For example, in key attaching, it may be desired to locate the key in a certain relation to the tearing strip, and this could be accomplishedv by use of the present means for stopping the can in the desired position.

Therefore, the present invention shall be considered in the light of its use for stopping a can in a guideway in a denite position for any operation thereon; also in its application, as illustrated, to a labeling machine.

It is also to be understood that other portions of the can than the tearing strip tongue might y be employed for engaging the registering hook to stop the rotation of the can. For instance, in some cans, the side seam projects, and the registering latch might be made to engage with this seam of the can to stop its rotation with the can in a proper position for subsequent registration of the tongue within the notch of the label.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a can labeling machine, a guideway along which tearing strip cans may be rolled, a traveling belt operating along the guideway in rolling contact with the cans for advancing them along the guideway, a can registering stop member, means normally supporting the stop member in the guideway to temporarily stop each can in its advancement, but permitting continued' rotation of the stopped can by the belt, a latch member disposed to be engaged by the tearing strip tongue of the rotated can to stdp rotation of the can while held against advancement and means independent of the latch and operable subsequent to stopping the can to release the can registering stop member for a resumed advancement of the registered can.

2. In a can labeling machine, a guideway along which cans may be rolled in succession, a traveling belt operating along the guideway in rolling contact with the cans to advance them under positive control along the guideway, a yieldable can registering stop member movable into the guideway to temporarily stop each can in its advancement, but permitting a continued rotation thereof by the belt while stopped, means in advance of the said registering stop member for retaining the next oncoming can spaced from the stopped can, a latch member disposed to be engaged by the tearing strip tongue of a can retained by the registering stop to stop it in its rotation means independent of thelatch member operable in timed succession for releasing the stop members for the advancement of the advancement of the registered can along the guldeway and a can to the registering stop.

3. The combination with a can labeling machine having means for supporting a stack of notched labels therein, a guideway along which tearing strip cans may berolled in succession across thelabel stack, a travelling belt in rolling contact with the cans, a stop member for stopping each can in its advancement at a definite distance from the label stack, registering means for engaging the tearing strip tongue of the stopped can as itis rotated by the belt, thereby to register the can relative to the label stack, means for subsequently actuating the stop member to release the can for continued advancement across the label stack and a spacing stop is provided for retaining on-corning cans spaced from the stopped can while it is being registered, and means operates in timing with the release of the first stop member to release a can from the said spacing stop for travel to the first stop.

4. The combination .with a can labeling machine having a runway along which tearing strip cans may be rolled,`in succession, means for supporting a stack of labels below the runway, means for applying an adhesive to each can for picking up a label as it is rolled across the label stack, and a traveling belt engaging the top sides of the cans to roll them along the guideway, of a stop member disposed to temporarily stop each can in its travel, but permitting continued rotation thereof by the belt, a second stop member disposed to retain the next oncoming can spaced from the stopped can, a latch disposed tol be engaged by the tearing strip tongue of the rotating can to stop its rotation with the tongue thereof in a definite location, and means for releasing the first mentioned stop member for travel of the forward can across the label stack, and means timed therewith for releasing the second mentioned stop for advancement of a can to the first stop member.

`5. In a can labeling machine having a runway along which tearing strip cans may be rolled, in succession, a traveling belt engaging the top sides of the cans to roll them along the guideway, a can registering stop member disposed to temporarily stop each canin its travel but permitting continued rotation thereof by the belt, a second stop member disposed to retain the next oncoming can spaced from the stopped can, a latch disposed 'to be engaged by the tearing strip tongue Aof `the rotating can to stop its rotation with the oncoming can spaced from the stopped can, a

latch disposed to be engaged by the tearing strip tongue of the rotating can to stop its rotation with the tongue thereof in a definite location relative to the guideway, yieldable means for supporting the stop members and registering latch in functional position, a rotatably driven cam shaft, cams on said shaft and cam levers normally locking the stop members in functional position and actuated by said cams to released position.

'7. A machine ofthe character described, having a guideway into which cylindrical cans may be promiscuously received, a stop in the guideway for the periodical ladmittance of cans for advancement along the guideway, a travelling member for advancing the cans along the guideway by rolling contact therewith, a can registering stop member in the guideway whereby each can admitted is temporarily stopped in its advancement and while stopped is caused to be axially rotated by the travelling member, a latch member positioned to engage, incident to rotation of the can, with a designated portion thereof offset from the normal cylindrical surface, thereby to stop rotation with the can .definitely registered relative to the guideway, and means timed with the action of the rst mentioned stop for momentarily releasing the registering stop for a continuation of the advancement of the registered can under control of the travelling member.

GEORGE A. BARDET. GEO. V. BARDET.

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